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Baker by a nose; Everett to get casino

The city as a whole went heavily Democratic in statewide races. In fact, all of the state's largest cities went for Coakley, if not all at the same 66-30 margin Boston gave her. But that wasn't enough to overcome Baker's wins across the suburbs and exurbs between 128 and I-91.

Carlo Basile beat Celeste Ribeiro Myers to retain his state rep's seat in East Boston.

Up on the North Shore, Seth Moulton won the 6th District congressional seat. State House News Service quotes him:

We can expand the Blue Line to Lynn.

Looks like Steve Wynn will get to build his casino in Everett.

WBUR has the statewide numbers.

City of Boston numbers.

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Comments

All my write in votes, ah sed, all my write in votes were for Universal Hub!

Now ah suppose ah shudda written ol' Adam's name instead . Sorry 'bout that, son!

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As Boston's results are coming in, it's amazing to watch the effects on the Gov. race.

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I was amazing at how quickly Baker fell off. He was sitting pretty in the 50s and now he's losing to Coakley by less than 1%.

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"It aint over till its over..."

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Personal greed.

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The result show (across the country) people are sick and tired of race batting, do nothing socialist/liberals. But ya, personal greed!

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Bring on the illiterate, ignorant conservatives!

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I laughed during the Coakley rally. A very bright woman energizing the crowd declared "We've got to show that all of our door knocking was for naught!" and the crowd went wild.

Nice concession speech by Coakley... way to thank the people who helped make it close.

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The result show (across the country) people are sick and tired of race batting

Agree 100%. If this election was anything , it was a referendum on conservatives not liking to have it pointed out that their racist policies are racist.

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I can take or leave Baker, but it was so nice to see the US Senate back under the control of Americans again and sooooo satisfying to know that come January, that punk Harry Reid will be joining Pelosi and be without his gavel. My faith in the country's voters has somewhat been restored.

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You righties are so cute with your complete disregard of how America was designed to work and the liberties and ideals upon which the Founding Fathers built this country.

Just because you are so wrapped up in your hate and spite for everybody who is different than you does not make those people, sorry, us people, any less American than you. The people with whom you disagree have the same birthright as you, as distasteful as that may be (to both sides, no doubt; the difference being I would never accuse you of being un-American, no matter how wrongheaded and completely wrong you are).

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So, where were all the previous senators from?

Hmmm?

IF you are too stupid to realize that the previous senate was AMERICANS too, you are too stupid to vote.

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Canadian.

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And sing along with idiot America

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MA is a sea of mostly red, with a small blue spot where Boston/Cambridge,etc. is, and blue in extreme western MA where the colleges are.

Interesting to see Scott Brown also won southern NH counties on the border where many former MA residents live. Shaheen won northern and western rural areas.

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I'm originally from rural NH, and Shaheen won because Brown didn't pay attention to those needs of those counties and flubbed when he was asked. Shaheen is a seasoned NH politician, so she knows all the local politicians and won their support. And that is what gave her the edge.

Scott focused his campaign on Manchester-Concord-Seacoast and obviously it worked. (but he still didnt win). He needed to pick up one or two of those rural counties for the win.

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a barn coat and a pickup. How he didn't win is a mystery.

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Roadmaster , for a Republican carpetbagger he came pretty close to defeating an entrenched home girl. That has to count for something.What exactly is the mindset of the people here , did the incumbent lose votes due to being contaminated by allegiance to Obama, or did Mr Brown you have lovely daughters enlighten some but not enough? For a guy that came out of the woodwork a few years ago , first beating Martha , another politically entrenched sweetheart of the rodeo home girl , and now coming close up there in NH ,he hasn't done too bad. What is the explanation for this phenomenon ?

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Isn 't Shaheen, herself, a carpetbagger?

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Shaheen moved to NH in 1973 and first ran for office in 1990. Not the timeframe of a carpetbagger by a long shot.

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But to some people, you gotta be born there to be from there.

I would say it is a New England thing, but I'm visiting Savannah soon. On my first trip, I read the obit of someone whose family moved there from Charleston when she was an infant. She was not described as being from Savannah, and she was 90.

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I'm getting partial to North Carolina, heard good things.

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it's a great state, but send your kids to private school.

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Isnt any different.

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Except that it is.

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That's racist.

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My nephews and niece all went to public school in a pretty ordinary NC town and are either gainfully employed in professional jobs (or will be upon graduation because they have offers already). May not be Massachusetts - but it's not inner Mongolia either.

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Wake County has very good schools. Probably better than Suffolk County on average. The current Republican state administration is driving a lot of good teachers out of the state but historically, parts of NC have had (and still have) excellent schools.

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There's a difference in being called a newcomer after living somewhere 80 years, and being a carpetbagger, isn't there?

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Where the phrase carpetbagger originated, they might have an issue with an 80 year old who was born in Newburyport and moved when they were young, just like little Scotty.

That said, Shaheen did have a good line in one of her ads sniping at Brown's recent move.

And hey, since we have to endure all of NH's ads every 2 years, aren't we all New Hampshirites?

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Live free or die!

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He's been to Westwood
He crossed a state line for a senate seat.
He keeps his truck neat
For this repeat
That keeps him searching for a senate seat
And he's getting beat

Keeps him searching for a senate seat
Keeps him searching for a senate seat
Keeps him searching for a senate seat
And he's getting beat

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... "heart of gold" to be found in this pol.

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Hey Brownie, you, Brownie, cursing at your luck
You're a discontented lawyer with a fake old pickup truck
I've no doubt you dream about the things you never do
But I wish someone had a talk to me like I wanna talk to you
Oh, I've been to Wrentham and Winnipesaukee and anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a think-tank man and had my statements spun
But I ran out of places and friendly faces cuz I lacked integrity

I've run three times on a pack of lies, but I've never run as me.

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He's run in three very difficult situations and won one. Seems like a pretty decent guy - far better than that lying, hypocritical, opportunist we have in DC now that beat him. Doesn't strike me as the brightest bulb on the block - I'll concede - but a decent person with very moderate views. Why all the hate? I mean if he were any further left, he'd be a Democrat.

Carpetbagger? Is that what you all called Hillary Clinton who went residence shopping for a friendly state that needed a senator after she left the White House (and full disclosure - if she were the D nominee for president right now I'd likely vote for her).

I don't get it - nice guy, good husband and father, moderate political views and not only do you not vote for him, but you hate on him. Something's wrong with you.

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"Nice guy"? Is that what you called him when he sneered at Elizabeth Warren, calling her "Professor" as if it were a dirty word? Was he a "nice guy" when he encouraged his frat-boy followers to do that racist tomahawk chop, obsessing over a form that Warren filled out twenty years ago instead of talking about policy?

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Was it as condescending as the look Warren gave the reporter who asked if she had documentation proving her Indian ancestry? Warren responded Yes - we have pictures. The reporter, thinking she had the scoop of the campaign said "Great - can we see them?" Warren sneered and said "No, they're not for you?"

So you have documented evidence you're not the lying hypocrite 40% of the electorate thinks you are in the form of a picture and you won't show anyone? "They're not for you." Seriously?

One link -

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/11/03/elizabeth-warren-claims-she-h...

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Thanks, I was just about to visit the john, and might need something to wipe with.

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Nor do I care because the video is from the TV station. don't like it - bingoogle it - you'll find more links and perhaps a longer clip of the video.

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You lost me at "lying hypocrite". She checked a box on a meaningless form twenty years ago. Get over it. She's under no obligation to prove anything to anyone.

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Self Proclaimed "Champion of the Downtrodden" - What exactly has she done for the downtrodden. I find it curious that she gets oodles of money from the hedgies and she hasn't introduced legislation to tax carried interest as regular income (hedge fund managers get taxed at lower capital gains rates for some bizarre reason - even those in the industry say it's ridiculous - but they'll take it if they can get it).

Going on 2 years - 25 pieces of legislation - including "resolutions" praising the Sox for winning the Series and condemning the Marathon bombings. Excluding those, she has all of ONE piece of legislation that has even passed the Senate. And how much of her legislation will now even see the light of day?

I have a terrible sense of smell - except for BS artists - and she reeks. It's about her - not us. If she's pulled the wool over your eyes, buy some shears.

The whole "checked a box" thing is not really a big deal to me - other than it's one more action in a pattern of behavior. Hey - it's worked for her so far.

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The whole "checked a box" thing is not really a big deal to me

Obviously not, LOL.

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If the last four candidates were on a list - I'd go with Gomez, Markey, Brown and Warren - in that order. She has four years left - my guess is that at the end of 6 years she has zero sponsored legislation to her credit. The left loves her, anyone right of center despises her. From what I hear, the middle left isn't all that fond of her either. You can love her all you want - she was marginal with the Dems in power - and now she is completely irrelevant - Markey is a classic politician, that's all - but the good side to that is he may actually be able to get something done for Mass.

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I look forward to the MassGOP continually trotting out Warren's ancestry as they continue their push to become even more irrelevant than they already are. I'd suggest they start focusing on issues people actually care about, but then again I don't care if they never win another seat.

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Is that what you called him when he sneered at Elizabeth Warren, calling her "Professor" as if it were a dirty word?

Scott Brown reminds me of the type of idiot I went to high school with (out in the deep Metro West hillbilly towns) who'd call you a "faggot" for actually finishing a book now and then.

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Exactly. A "nice guy".

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I don't think anybody hates Scottie B. Personally, I just find him ridiculous. He surrounds himself with scum, but I just think he's a garden variety goofball, nothing hateworthy. I'm sure he'd make a fine neighbor.

You all like to make a big deal about Warren checking a box on a form based on old family stories decades ago, but Scotty's lies about who he is were a huge part of his campaign. His schtick with driving around dressed up in a "regular guy" costume pretending to be something he isn't was ridiculous. Warren didn't drive around wearing a tear dress and moccasins, but Scotty wouldn't be seen posing without his designer barn jacket instead of the suit and tasseled loafers he was born to. Politics is his family business, he's a lawyer and politician like his dad and grandpa, and not a construction worker or landscaper, and if he were more frank about who he is and where he comes from he might have had a better chance with an educated electorate. You didn't see Charlie Baker putting on an act or a costume to pretend he's something else besides a hospital executive, and the state voted for him based on his accomplishments and not some fantasy. But, then again, he _has_ accomplishments.

Now Scottie has decided Massachusetts isn't his community after all, and I wish him luck elsewhere. I don't know if he's still going to pretend to live in New Hampshire after his loss there. I hope he finds a place he can make a contribution to his community, wherever he decides that is, though I doubt it. I expect he'll just go on wingnut welfare like Palin.

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Warren didn't drive around wearing a tear dress and moccasins....

When Liz entered the political arena, she sold her BMW and grabbed a hybrid. That's pretty phony. At least Brown always had the pickup.

He needs to find another line of business, though.

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Seriously? - don't know about his grandfather - but his dad was a city councilor from Newburyport- not exactly a suit and tasseled loafer upbringing. His parents divorced when he was a baby. This is not guy to the manor born - middle class at best and his own set of hardships growing up.

I don't vote for people just because I agree with them. Sometimes you have to vote for the other party because they can get the job done. For at least the next two years Warren will be marginalized and serves as an anchor for Mass. Hopefully Markey can pull his weight and hers as a more centrist figure or we will see very little flowing our way. And pray like hell a Republican doesn't take the White House in 2014 or we're really in over our heads.

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???

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Because you'll enter the same distortion field you'd get if you looked at a national map after the 2008 or 2012 elections - how come Obama won if the map is all blood red, except for those tiny little blue strips along the edges?

Maybe somebody should come up with a Massachusetts map that adjusts for population, because otherwise, you get the sense that Plympton, which is physically as large as Boston, is just as important in terms of vote tallies as a city with a gazillion times its population.

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I have lost a lot of respect for Martha Coakley. Leaves the hotel without speaking to her supporters and does not call Baker to offer congratulations when he has a 30,000 vote lead with 98% in. I thought she was a civil person. Maybe it is better that she did not get voted in if this is the way she handles adversity.

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I understand her desire to wait on every last vote (absentees and all) before conceding, and pushing it off until she was comfortable, but to leave her ballroom of supporters hanging there without a clue leads to some pretty negative speculation about her composure.

Poor form.

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Poor form. OTOH, consistent with past behavior.

While she worked in Middlesex, I heard that lots of folks in the DA's office didn't like her.

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If she was elected gov.. Scary

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Like actively fighting the release from prison of an innocent man to further your career. How is anyone shocked by this? She is done w/politics, no need to hid her true self any longer.

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At 8:36 am Fox 25 News reports Martha has conceded! Now she can go out to her paying job.....

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until ALL the votes are counted before declaring a winner? This is one of the biggest failings of our electoral process - the rush by the media and others to declare a winner before we actually know the results.

And demanding that the loser make a concession speech to the winner, ecpscially before all the ballots have been counted, is just plain silly.

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This is what annoyed me about last night... minutes after the polls closed, many races were called. Even Shaheen/Brown was called earlier and in the end, it really could have gone either way.

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Mayor Love, great to see you advance to Congress. Since you're a black female Republican, no doubt the "Uncle Tom" and "sellout" labels will soon be assigned by our tolerant friends. Fight through it, and congratulations!

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James Brown supported Nixon, I learned recently.

From http://online.wsj.com/articles/tv-review-hbos-mr-dynamite-makes-james-br... :

When civil-rights champion Brown endorsed Richard Nixon for re-election in 1972, the turn away from Democrats horrified many people. Yet from what the singer says throughout the film it’s possible to infer that he didn’t so much like Nixon as he disliked politicians who felt they were doing him and other blacks a favor. “I don’t want nobody to give me nothing,” he says, adding later: “Open the door and I’ll get it myself.”

Yes, indeed, congrats to U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-UT)!!!

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Actually, James Brown said that last bit a few years *before* he went for Nixon:

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                      ( Among his other failings, I'm pretty sure Nixon couldn't dance. )

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Of course James Brown was Republican, as was MLK Jr. It was Democrats like Bull Connor, Democrat Senate Leader Robert "Ku Klux Klan" Byrd, Al Gore's father and JFK who had to be dragged to the table for Civil Rights. Truly shameless. Don't forget A.G. Bobby Kennedy who tapped Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's phone. Today his grandson campaigns with a blonde, blue-eyed fake Indian. Your Democrat party. Farce!

http://humanevents.com/2006/08/16/why-martin-luther-king-was-republican/

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Poor Scotto. I hear Maine has some nice rental properties.

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I know you're not glued to Matty in the Morning like I am during my morning commute but he made the same joke this morning.

What does someone like him do at this point? Become a lobbyist? Write another book? Move to Nashville with his daughter and try to become a country singer?

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But it was all over the twitters last night - even before that brief moment when it looked like he might actually win.

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I have to get up at 4am so I go nighty-night between 8-9. I missed all the MA action. I did see some extremely boring footage of Mitch McConnell wandering around but that's all.

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What does someone like him do at this point?

It's reality time for Scott. Time to realize the first time was an absolute fluke, the right place at the right time against the right opponent, an aligning of the stars kinda thing. He had his 15+ minutes of fame. He simply is not a politician.

I don't have the absolute hate for him other people have. He's a nice guy and a good person. But, when it comes to running for senator or governor, he's in waaaaay over his head.

Time to move on.

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He'll follow the Sarah Palin script:

Gig at Fox News
Pretend he's going to run again in 2016 to raise a bunch of money
Write a book
Reality TV

etc.

He won't starve.

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Poor man - his center folded.

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Rapidly closing in on age 70, it's time for "Matty" to hang it up. "Billy" Costa for that matter too. Something tawdry about elderly males slinging "hip" comments to tween girls.

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He's the last true morning DJ we have. Let me be a bitter clinger to him and his show for a couple more years. Besides, I only listen to his first segment. He comes on at 6:20, makes a couple of jokes and then goes right to commercial. At that point, I'm parking my car at work.

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trivia.

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this is Utah Hub? Nice try at baiting though, Fish.

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He's a master baiter.

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Sorry dvdoff. I didn't realize the discussion of a national election was limited by geography. One of the more significant advances for blacks since U.S. Sen. Ed Brooke (R-MA) was elected and you want to stifle it? Sorry that voters didn't cooperate with your script this year. As for the name calling by The Beer Guy, Is that all you have left? Nothing better?

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One of the more significant advances for blacks

Yeah, only 46 years after the Democrats first elected a black woman to Congress. Looking forward to the GOP embracing gay marriage in another 40 years or so.

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Technically, GOP would have an openly gay representative if Tisei won.

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LOLOL really?

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I'll await condemnation here but aside from Baker's near-fatal tears, Tisei never should have gone on TV mentioning a "husband." Who's advising these people? Tisei's remarks were very offensive to many people, why advertise it? Already questionable for promoting the "bathroom bill" in the schools, Tisei really did no favors with that ad. Plenty of room for gay Republicans in the party but throwing "gay marriage" in the face of an already angry electorate was ill-advised by Tisei. I knew he was gone once I saw the ad.

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Plenty of room for gay Republicans in the party as long as they stay in the closet where they belong.

Fixed that for you.

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No need for the closet. Just discretion. I voted for Charlie Baker but think the world of Martha Coakley's husband, retired Cambridge Det. Tom O'Connor. A cop's cop. OTOH, I've never met Charlie Baker's wife but I also understand that Lauren Baker is top-notch. The notable thing is that neither Charlie nor Martha forced the spouses on the public. Why Tisei found a need to is beyond me. His district has spoken. He lost another winnable race.

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You knew they had spouses, right? What do you want Tisei to do, pretend he's not married?

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You expect someone who likely had nothing but contempt for his own wife to understand that other men don't get married to hate their spouses?

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Some people are unable to see a gay person with their partner without thinking "this is rammed down my throat".

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I'm increasingly thinking you are just a liberal troll putting this stuff out to make Republicans look bad - trust me, they do a good enough job of that without your help. Anyone offended by Mr. Tisei referring to his "husband" will just have to get used to it. It's the law of the land in a large number of states and probably will be in the country before long. I can be confident these people didn't vote for Moulton if they are offended by Tisei talking about his husband. Any indication a large number of these people just stayed home or voted for Mickey Mouse?

Both candidates were quite competent. I think Mass is in some SERIOUS trouble. With all of our delegation now Dems - we'll see what happens -but my guess is with Tip and Newt and Teddy gone, two senators wet behind the ears and an all Dem delegations, when it comes time to divvy up committees and pork we'll get the janitorial committee and pickled pigs feet (unwashed).

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If Tisei had chosen to exclude the most important person in his life, he could have gay-baited his unmarried opponent, amirite?

Not everyone holds their spouse in such low regard that they would closet them for their own political gain.

Besides, Tisei is a good man and a good rep - his biggest problem is that he would have been ScottBrowned if he made it to the national scene and everyone knows that. Or, he would have been completely marginalized as punishment for representing his district and having integrity, like the senators from Maine were for not playing the Rove game.

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Congrats to O-FISH and the GOP on their continued ability to point out "Hey, I've got black friends! Well, one at least. Actually, he's more of an acquaintance, and by acquaintance I mean he's a guy who works in my office."

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NO POOFTERS!

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You have no magic underwear nor many wives. World Net Daily is OFish's wikipedia.

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Since you're a black female Republican, no doubt the "Uncle Tom" and "sellout" labels will soon be assigned by our tolerant friends.

Um, you can't have it both ways. You can't go around saying how great it is that you're a Black, female Republican (Mayor turned Congresswoman) and then the next minute be in lockstep with the party that always says "it's not about race--the Liberals are always race-baiting." But she did just that:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/mia-love-cnn-interview_n_610991...

Going back even further to the 2012 RNC, she's touted her usual brand of "uplift" and "togetherness" b.s. while parroting the usual empty Republican talking points about about how Obama is "dividing the country" through his "failed policies:"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/mia-love-speech-_n_1838028.html

And, oh yeah, Utah is still a flyover State (sorry). I would love to see her bring her bring her brand of b.s. back to Brooklyn and see how long it lasts there.

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Have you read any of the vitriol being spewed Mia Love's way? Most of it is race related. It's nasty, racist and unbelievably coming from people that are supposed to be tolerant.

I guess if you don't vote the way you're "supposed" to, it's OK, is that it?

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Statement: "The city as a whole went heavily Democratic in statewide races."
Translation: The handout and layabout voters of the cities vote Democrat

Statement: "But that may not be enough to overcome Baker's wins across suburban and rural Massachusetts."
Translation: The voters who actually work for a living and aren't looking for a handout vote Rebublican.

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Went for Coakley. Whole lotta executive types there.

This isn't a rejection of Democratic values so much as a return to Massachusetts normalcy, where we had a Republican governor with no hope of sustaining his vetos as a counterweight to the Democratic legislature. Maybe if Tea Partier Polito had been at the top of the ticket and won, you'd have a case, but she didn't, and you don't, so please return to your frothing about EBT cards.

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Yes , you are right they do pretty good in Concord by the prison.Maybe this is their way of tithing , politically anyway. It's an aberration . There is nothing wrong with a little frothing at the EBT card mismanagement situation. I do not have a Concord financial scenario. I would like to see fiscal responsibility for every penny that I pay in taxes. You want the rights of this society , you have to expect to have responsibilities. She got rejected , her essence has been exposed. Carry on !

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Their plastic water bottle and Styrofoam bans. How they voted on the unconstitutional (state) gas tax increases, bottle bill extension, and casino questions show how Concord is a special oasis for people to file town meeting warrants against cats that might harm birds and other such nonsense.

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This isn't a rejection of Democratic values so much as a return to Massachusetts normalcy, where we had a Republican governor with no hope of sustaining his vetos (sic) as a counterweight to the Democratic legislature.

Seriosuly Adam? As recently as 1991, Republicans held 16 of the 40 State Senate seats, more than enough to sustain a veto.

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This could be interesting.

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wtf021 Translator: I read the Herald. AND I VOTE!

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with the Herald and Fox? How does hackneyed talking points and snarky sound bites add to the conversation? Answer: they don't....from whatever ideological POV.

Democrats (and so-called progressives) take charge: same old, same old. Republicans (moderate, so-called neoconservatives and 'wingnuts') take charge: same old, same old.

As for 'progressives' and Democrats, they have been running this state (regardless of Republican governors) for a LONG, LONG time. Ditto our cities (pretty much ALL major US cities are Democrat 'progressive' controlled and have been for a LONG, LONG time. Why have 'progressive' policies made appreciable changes for the better in poverty, poor education results, especially in 'inner-cities' (READ: among 'people of color'), economic growth, cost of living, cost of housing, homelessness, mental health issues, etc.?

Ditto Republicans: why does our state and federal government grow in size, in the scope of $ taken by taxes from people who work, corruption in both government and the private sector, etc.?

Who are you people who get all gung ho over Obama, or God help us, Mitch McConnell? None of these 'leaders' give a rat's ass about 99% of Americans. It's all show.

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The Republican show is a lot cheaper.

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Present your statistics - including the cost of budgets laden with "no bid contract" pork for Haliburton, et al.

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Funny, but blank-check contracts to friends and defense contractors tend to make at least the national game more expensive under Republican leadership:

IMAGE(http://zfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/US-national-debt-GDP-graph.png)

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How does hackneyed talking points and snarky sound bites add to the conversation

People will stop calling the Herald a rag when the Herald stops being a rag.

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People who cry "Fox News" or "Boston Herald" I find have no argument. I don't read or watch either but in the past posters, for some reason, need a validation of why my opinion may differ from their own.
It's like I have no brain and no ability to think for myself.
It cheapens and basically ends the conversation.
Not only that, it's a well worn out (lame) defense.

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Now anyone who only speaks wingnut will be able to understand. Could you stick around and help every day? It's so helpful for the differently abled reader.

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F* you. Everyone I know who lives in Boston works our asses off to pay the big bucks to live here. Furthermore, the city of Boston subsidizes rural Massachusetts. Check your facts in between cans of Bud Light and Dunks runs.

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Hopefully Charlie Baker can do what the suburbs need. Create a functional DOT, slash Registry fees that are only draining out credit cards and returning nothing except supplying a salary for more layabouts, put a stop to the illegal immigration support and its drain on our schools, health and welfare systems.

Beyond that, repairing a DCF dept that keeps kids alive wouldnt hurt and cleaning out to prevent another probation department debacle would be a good first months work.

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Functional DOT would mean squashing Southcoast Rail adventure .

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"illegal immigration support and its drain on our schools, health and welfare systems"

do you have any statistics or real data to back this up? assuming you are just rehashing a GOP talking point

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But I can actually. I'm a resident of Chelsea, I see the effects of illegal immigration every day outside of my front door.

The Chelsea School District in its 2013-2014 year added 1,000 new students over the course of the year. Source: Illegal Immigration. Since schools are not allowed to verify immigration status, they have to accept everyone.

Sure one could argue that since they can't ask, its hard to tell. However, since many of these students lack english skills, have PTSD or mental issues (from related to being transported from other countries), and are not up to the grade level they should be for their age, so unless these kids have been locked in a basement for years, it's illegal immigration.

I can also state that Revere, and Lynn public schools are faced with the same issue.

Links:

http://www.chelsearecord.com/2014/07/21/city-organizations-hold-summit-t...

http://www.chelsearecord.com/2014/09/29/private-donation-to-assist-immig...

http://www.chelsearecord.com/2013/04/18/dollars-going-south-of-the-borde...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/28/mass-mayor-illegals-enro...

PS - I cannot find the main article about the 1000 students because the Chelsea Record's website blows to search on. but if you *really* want it, I will find it for you. I'm just busy at work today.

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If those people weren't contributing to the local economy through paying taxes and paying rent that pays the taxes of the landlords, etc.

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Illegal immigrants pay income tax: you know this, right?

If they don't, they're tax evaders. But nobody in the Republican party wants to kick tax evaders out of the country, for some reason.

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Well aware of that. However many do work under the table too.

Look, I'm not trying to start an immigration debate, just pointing out that the poster above actually has a point. That's all. Not saying I agree with him, but I do see it, and I do read about it (and amazingly enough it's not on foxnews.com)

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Just an honest question; how does an illegal immigrant pay income tax? They do not have a social security number. We are not talking immigrants, we're talking illegal immigrants to which there is a big difference.

Just curious if they've got some kind of work permit or state issued number of some kind....

Where I worked, social security office called one day because the numbers used by a few of our employees didn't quite match up. When HR went to speak to the employees involved, there was a mass exodus of many more employees that were even targeted, so I guess it is a common practice for some to make up social security numbers but I still wonder how they get past I-9's.

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For cash. So their "employers" not only don't with hold, they don't pay contribute to Social Security or Unemployment Insurance. Or workers's comp. So when one of these poor bastards falls off the ladder or the roof, they go to the emergency room, and their "employer" skates on that as well.

Illegal employers should be targeted first.

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This is part of the problem. As I said before, many work under the table, and this has to stop.

But it won't. Why? because this means these under the table jobs would have to pay living wages and benefits, and that's stopping the employer from being 'legal' about it. In short, most 'under the table' working illegal immigrants are just being exploited by employers for this reason.

There was an article many moons ago either in the phoenix or dig about the happenings out from of Home Depot or Foss Park before 5am with all the day laborers. Many are never paid. Many are taken advantage of, and worse, abused. And unfortunately because they are illegal, there's zippo that they can do about it except just not work (and most continue to do so because they are the only jobs they can get)

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Got stats?

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Thats the problem, because they are illegal, there's no accurate reporting or 'stats'

Hell even the census has a hard enough time counting illegal immigrants. What makes you think they are going to willingly talk it up to someone else about their employment status, immigration status, tax status, or if they are paying taxes or not.

You'll never get an accurate count.. ever.

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So you have no stats and yet you feel comfortable extrapolating a huge number of illegal aliens because you read an article that there are lots of ESOL students entering a school system? In other words, you've got nothing? Good talk. Thanks.

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Again, so how are they paying income tax?

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Leave the SSN Number part blank. The IRS will gladly take your money.

Again, if they don't do that, they're tax evaders. That's a VERY different conversation, that a lot of people don't want to have.

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Most employers wont allow for an I-9 or W2 to be filled out without one because every US Citizen or LEGAL immigrant has one (or as a work ID number to use).

PS - I see what you are doing.. because we could talk about tax evaders and corporations, which the GOP doesn't want to admit is happening far too much lately.

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Impossible! I've worked in HR and was in fact audited by the feds, although this was many years ago,.

I also know for a fact I-9's are not messed with by any company employee. If you leave out any information, you're not making it on the payroll system and you will not be hired.

end of story.

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It varies person by person. Some come in on work visas and never leave. And they are given a number, which is similar in sequence to an SSN. They just continue to use that number until its been flagged

Fake numbers. Some are just made up numbers. You can pretty much guess the first set of numbers on a SSN number (i.e. 003 means it was issued in New Hampshire), so providing you match sequences, you'll stay under the radar.

Secondly some are simply fraud. Either stolen numbers or 'borrowed'. I know this happens more often than you think. I do not have links to back this up except personal experience but I know several illegal immigrants that borrowed legal Americans numbers (and these people gave it to them willingly, which is highly illegal!). They just dont bother filing tax returns at years end because this is where the flags come up.

But honestly I think many folks are just cash-only 'day laborers' or get filed under 1099-MISC pay which doesn't set off the old IRS flagging system as much. (because its considered "other payment" not payroll). This also is how they skirt I-9 verification (which I think is pretty useless anyways since its rarely checked or takes months to verify)

Also in MA, to get a drivers license you don't need a SSN to get one. Just proof of residency, and any paycheck stub or mail will verify this. Once you have a drivers license, you can pass I-9 pretty easily.

The only 'saving grace' is was eVerify, but this has been squashed left and right by immigration supporters. eVerify was able to validate SSN's immediately via a public database.

Overall its pretty sad that there's no checks and balances on SSN numbers and the validity of them (except for the squashed eVerify). Drivers Licenses can be done instantly,. why not SSNs?

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http://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomization.html

Which is too bad since I liked knowing that the first three digits were related to my birth state.

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thanks for the correction..

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Where I worked, social security office called one day because the numbers used by a few of our employees didn't quite match up.

You mean the numbers they used on their W-4 forms, which are for withholding taxes? The forms that employers make their workers fill out? The only way Social Security would even be aware of those numbers is if taxes were being credited to them. So the fact that somebody came around asking means that those workers were paying taxes. They most likely wouldn't file returns, which means Uncle gets to keep all their withholding.

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I'm sorry, I can't feel sorry for someone falsifying a social security number. I just can't. You're worried about them paying taxes they won't get a return on. I'd be more worried about someone using my social security number, or members of my family. I know of a woman whose young son's ss number was found to be used by some middle aged guy in another part of the country.

It used to be a very serious crime to make up a social security number. I know. Years ago my mother would just make up the numbers if she was asked. When I became an adult and realized, I convinced her to stop. She had one, somewhere but felt it wasn't important since she really never had any wages or benefit. So when she was asked, she would either use my dads or make up a number. To be honest, it probably didn't come up that much. Being a widow, she earned my fathers benefits he never got to use. I remember getting reamed out by someone at Boston City Hall when I had to explain my mothers inconsistent number.
Luckily for us it ended just fine.

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You were going on about "how can illegals possibly pay taxes" at the same time you were providing evidence from your own experience that they do pay taxes. As a supposed HR person, you must know that employers are required to submit SSANs for every employee. People without documents will just make up a number, and taxes get taken out of their pay, and credited to that number. Nobody asked you to be sorry for them.

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They're not just kids, either. There was a story earlier this year from Lynn where it turned out that folks in their 30's were enrolling in the high school.

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That article is in my links to my post above. That one was BIG all over the news.

While I think education is the key... I think it sad that the school district couldn't do anything about this. The system is broken in this case, this should not happen.

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GOP business owners.

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Driving costs the Commonwealth a lot of money. Drivers are heavily subsidized as a group.

I'd also like to see the RMV become something other than a registry, but an actual functional organization that strives to make drivers learn the rules and weeds out those who are no longer fit to drive.

Draining your wallet, though? Stop driving. Or, better yet, start charging drivers the full per-mile cost of their chosen mode of transportation. If you think it is expensive, try paying the full freight.

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The Massachusetts Constitution requires taxes to be voted on by citizens or their elected representatives. Fees charged for direct service provided may be imposed by appointed boards. So, sorry about your idea.

A RMV license fee should only pay for the piece of paper or plastic and/or aluminum plate. Charging for more than that makes it a tax.

The gas tax is what is to pay for roads. It too, along with increases need to be voted on by elected representatives, and not made automatic. The ones in this state are impotent and without balls to vote higher taxes when needed. With a Democrat super majority, they can't even blame the other party for getting nothing done and sending so few bills to the Governor. With the plummeting price of gas, now is the ideal time for the Legislature to pass a gas tax hike with less opposition, except they have been on vacation for weeks, and weeks more to come.

Paying more money for roads doesn't guarantee the money is used well. Cambridge uses their excessive Chapter 90 roadway funding to remove travel lanes and transportation capacity! The state formula gives them too much road money because their zoning regulations push traffic from roads to the MBTA, so their roads get less wear and tear. Their excess Ch. 90 money should go to the MBTA because that's where they push travelers without having to pay extra to the MBTA.

What needs to be much higher are MBTA fares, so that they get much less subsidized. Also needed are higher and more fair fees on the cities and towns served by the MBTA. Those fees are way, way out of proportion with the actual service provided to each community. Those with more services need to pay more. Underpaying cities include Quincy and Somerville, for example, paying the same per capita amounts as towns without any parking garages, subway or train service.

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What needs to be much higher are MBTA fares, so that they get much less subsidized.

Wrong. What we need is for drivers to pay the equivalent percentage of their transport costs. Currently, drivers pay about 28% through gas tax and fees - T users already pay more than that, and are burdened with a cost that resulted from cost overruns on a transportation project which was supposed to include transit, but that part was conveniently not built when the contractor ran way past the budget.

I would love to see a per-mile use tax, as cars are inspected annually anyway. I'd also love to see the out-of-pocket costs for drivers rival the out-of-pocket costs for transit riders.

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MBTA fares actually subsidize the Big Dig debt. Seems like a kind of stupid idea, I know. Three guesses whose idea it was.

Edited -- changed "fees" to "fares."

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Stop driving? What do you say to those that don't have public transporation, walk? People that have very long commutes? The elderly? Disabled?

You seem to forget that most of the state does not have access to public transportation.

Speaking of heavily subsidized - MBTA

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Just ignore the 'drivers are evil' trolls. It's pointless trying to have a meaningful conversation with them.

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Just highly subsidized and exceptionally entitled.

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Is heavily subsidizing the Big Dig - considering that the contract with the Feds included public transit projects, and those didn't get built because of cost overruns on the highway project, and then those cost overruns got dumped on the T.

Transit is vastly less expensive than building sprawl for private car travel. That is very well established - look it up.

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I've lived there for almost two decades and we've slowly changed from a deep blue city to purple. Yes, of course most local races are dominated by democrats (Koch, Lynch, Ayers - I'm looking at you) but when it comes to bigger races, it's purple-y.

We're even a bellweather city now.

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Nancy, I was able to meet your Democrat Mayor Tom Koch at Charlie Baker's time at the Seaport last night. Great guy. I give him tremendous credit for being the first of what would become many Democrat Mayors to come out for Charlie. Don't forget, Coakley did herself no favors on the South Shore by prosecuting Tim Cahill, Al Grazioso, Scott Campbell, Jackie O'Brien and others on specious charges while looking the other way on DeMasi, DeLeo etc.

That region can also be forgiven for rejecting the Democrats after what's happened there. Betrayed by phonies and frauds like Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Billy Delahunt and Gerry Studds voting against the military while General Dynamics Shipyard, Raytheon, Pneumatic Scale, Boston Gearworks, South Weymouth NAS all closed down leaving tens of thousands out of work. Koch and Ayers are also strong pro-life Catholics, and at least Lynch had the temerity to vote against his party and the disastrous Obamacare. Ayers also had the courage to highlight fellow Democrat Menino's mismanagement of the Long Island Bridge, long before Marty Walsh deemed it too unstable to stay open. Glad to see Quincy come through for Baker and the rest of the South Shore flip some long held Democrat seats, including Senate President Theresa Murray's seat to Republican. Keep up the good work!

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is purple. Looks painful.

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One good thing to come out of this , Lake Monsanto gets cleaned up. Now the gambling is a matter of personal responsibility , take it easy rolling those dice, boys and girls !

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After reading that a casino was the only likely way that land would get cleaned up in a reasonable timeframe that was a big factor in me rejecting the initiative. I'm still not happy about the way the gambling legislation progressed, but the end result seems reasonably legit.

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Because the cleanup of one plot of land is more important than the health of local communities?

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Didn't the adjoining city of Revere vote to house a gambling emporium, and aren't there all sorts of machination that had gone on in the past with Suffolk Downs to compete for the gambling ? How local are you ? I am not a gambler, know that area very well ( always been gambling over there with Wonderland and Suffolk Downs anyway ) , but the people have spoken, twice with the back door kibosh ballot question. That mess gets cleaned up , that's a good externality.

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